Programs & Services
Assessment/Referral
At MUST we believe that to meet our clients' needs, we really need to get to know them as persons. MUST provides individual assessments for each client accessing weekday services. When able, we meet needs. When appropriate, we provide referral to other resources in the community. To this end, all MUST program offices participate in the Pathways Community Network.
Food Pantry
At MUST we believe that the blessings of our community are ample enough to ensure that no person need go hungry. MUST provides canned and other non-perishable goods free of charge to Cobb and Cherokee County residents in need. Families and individuals may obtain food through one of MUST's 3 food pantries during regular service hours (10 am - 2 pm Mon - Fri). Households may receive food up to four times per year. Photo ID and proof of residence are required documentation, along with social security numbers for everyone requesting service, or birth certificates for children
Clothes Closet
At MUST we believe that "hand-me-downs" are not just for little brothers and sisters but for neighbors in need as well. MUST provides new and used clothing free of charge to Cobb and Cherokee County residents in need. Families and individuals may obtain clothing through one of MUST's 3 clothes closets during regular service hours (10 am - 2 pm Mon - Fri). While clothing allotments per individual are generous, quantities of specific clothing items are often limited. Photo ID and proof of residence are required documentation, along with social security numbers for everyone requesting service, or birth certificates for children. Individuals can receive (twice a year) four pairs of jeans, a coat, a pair of sneakers, four pairs of underwear, four pairs of socks and twenty other items of clothing. Beyond their initial allotments, persons who are homeless can access additional clothing resources on a week by week basis.
Financial Assistance
At MUST we believe that the prevention of homelessness begins with avoiding evictions and foreclosures. MUST provides emergency financial assistance with rent and/or utilities to persons living in Cobb and Cherokee County. Application for financial assistance must be made in person at your local MUST program office during regular service hours (10 am - 2 pm Mon - Fri). Availability of funds varies during the course of the year, and each application is reviewed on a case by case basis. If you have questions about financial assistance, and/or your eligibility we encourage you to call your local MUST office.
Bread and Sweets
At MUST we believe that too much food gets wasted and thrown away in our community. MUST provides perishable donated breads and sweets to persons living in Cobb and Cherokee County. There are no documentation requirements for eligibility; however, there are limits on the quantity and frequency which vary with availability.
Employment and Education
At MUST we believe that breaking the cycle of poverty often begins with equipping persons with the skills necessary to obtain and maintain a job. MUST provides both individualized job coaching and group-centered learning activities in an attempt to enhance the marketable skills of persons living in poverty. Our education offerings include budgeting and other lifeskills classes. Many of our educational offerings are designed to complement our core programs: housing, financial assistance, food pantry, etc. However, some education and employment offerings are stand-alone programs, where people can access services simply by requesting them at one of our program offices during regular service hours (10 am - 2 pm Mon - Fri).
Seasonal Programs
At MUST we believe that each child, each family, deserves to experience the fullness of life. MUST provides a number of special seasonal programs, many of which focus on the lives of children. Most of these programs originated in the hearts and hands of our volunteers. Whether it be putting a sack lunch, a backpack full of school supplies, or a special toy in the hands of a child, we take pride in filling in the gaps. If you are interested in any of our seasonal programs, please contact your local MUST office. Our programs include:
Hot Meals
At MUST we believe that preparing and serving a hot meal to persons living in poverty is an ideal way to live out one's faith. MUST provides a community lunch each weekday at 12:00 pm in the Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen on the Marietta Campus. Anyone in the community is welcome to come, sign in, and partake of a meal prepared and served by volunteers. No documentation is necessary. Persons from group homes, weekday services clients, shelter guests, and neighbors who find their homes on the streets and in the woods of Cobb County all benefit from this special resource.
Homeless Outreach Programs
At MUST we believe that cleanliness is not just a nicety but essential to healthy living. MUST provides shower facilities, not only to our shelter guests, but also to persons living in homelessness in our community. The shower outreach program is a community service we provide to help prevent the spread of infection, disease and skin disorders. In addition to healthy living initiatives, we also offer the following resources to the homeless community: CCT bus passes, assistance in obtaining identification documents, and use of MUST as a mailing address
Emergency Shelter
At MUST we believe that persons who find themselves homeless should have a place of refuge, a place to begin a journey of recovery. MUST provides the Elizabeth Inn Emergency Night Shelter as a service to those among us who find themselves in need of a safe night of rest. Our shelter is open to men, women, and children. Prospective guests are invited to arrive at the front porch of the Elizabeth Inn as early as 5:00 pm Monday through Sunday. At around 5:30 pm, a sign-up sheet will be offered to prospective guests. Availability of beds depends upon how many of the previous night's guests return for another evening of shelter. The shelter offers two tracks: "shelter-only" and "recovery-plus". The first track allows anyone who continues to abide by house rules (including passing all breathalyzer and drug tests) to stay for up to eight days. The second track necessitates participation in and completion of our First 48 Hours program, and opens the door to a stay of up to six weeks duration. During clients' stays, adults will be expected to work, and children will be expected to attend school. Three meals a day and MUST's wrap-around supportive services are made available to our guests during their stays.
Clinic
At MUST we believe that too many of our neighbors in need find themselves without access to the high quality health care available in our communities. MUST collaborates with with the KSU Research and Service Foundation/Community Clinic Program and Kennesaw State University's College of Health and Human Services to provide a free health clinic to persons in our community who lack access to health care insurance. At this time, the clinic is limited to seeing only current or former patients or current residents of the Elizabeth Inn. Persons needing clinic services should contact the clinic directly to make an appointment at 678-218-4522. The clinic's hours of operation are Tuesday 10:00 am -1:00 pm and Thursday from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.
Housing
For information on Housing click here.
For churches referring individuals to MUST for services, click here for more information.